When You Can't Seem to Flatten the Tire Around Your Mid-Section

You can be doing everything right with your exercise regimine and the foods you feed yourself to fuel your body. Unfortunately, some of us may still have the extra "pooch" that just won't go away. Here's what I have learned about that. Our midsection has a very high blood supply, in comparison to the rest of our body. What it eventually comes down to is our hormones. Our hormones, like our food and exercise plan, must also be balanced. Things like "STRESS" can completely flip our hormones upside-down and shake it up. A hormone called cortisol, which is a stress hormone, is elevated when you are in high-stress situation or live a high stressed life. What happens is the cortisol has a a block party in your belly. With all those hormones collecting and singing kumbaya at your stomach's campfire...there is no amount of crunches or eating habits to make up for that. In all sincerity, it shouldn't. We are suppose to balance our lives and stress is just another one of those things. Depending on the levels of stress in your life, you may need to get creative with ways to combat those intense times. You could do things like go running, listen to music and sing at the top of your lungs, get a pedi and/or mani, lay down for a massage, or even just sit and have some peace and quiet. Whatever works for you! I recently took a whole day off, from life! Well, it ended up being a half day, but at least the intention was there. I did nothing that would cause me to be stressed, worried, tied down, anxious, etc. It lasted for half a day, but I tell ya, it sure was rejuvenating! SO, TAKE SOME TIME OFF FOR YOU! WHETHER IT'S AN HOUR, A DAY, OR EVEN A WEEKEND. GET YOUR HEAD ON STRAIGHT, TAKE TIME TO SMELL THE ROSES...MAKE IT COUNT, YOU ARE WORTH IT!!! Besides, if you can't take care of you, forget about trying to hold the rest of the fort down (the husband/wife, the kids, the pets, the job...you get the point)

The future depends on what we do in the present. - Mahatma Gandhi

TODAY: MAKE IT COUNT!!!

Playing with Your Metabolism

Whether you want to lose weight, lean out, build muscle, or even just maintain your current weight, you must pay attention to two things. It is important to have a well balanced diet and include physical activity during the week. Other important factors are normal rest, stay away from unhealthy habits like smoking and excessive drinking...and I don't mean water!

Most people think of the word "diet" as a bad thing or relate it to being on a strict can't eat anything type of deal. What a lot of people fail to realize is your body needs food to keep your metabolism going. We must eat a minimum of 1200 calories a day. When people try these theories of minimal eating or severely low calorie intake, your body actually suffers. That's right! Your body will go into a "starvation" mode and actually save the foods you put in your body...which basically means your body stores the fat. Your body thinks you are starving it, so it tries to think ahead and in turn, holds on to the fat it has collected. This slows your metabolism immensely and will not benefit you whatsoever.

The second factor mentioned earlier, is very important as well. We. Must. Exercise. You need to get your heart pumping. To keep your metabolism going or to increase it, you want to include lean muscle building. Building muscles burns the fat. You have many things working to your advantage when including exercise and strength training. Women tend to shy away from muscle building because of a built up fear that we will grow big and strong, like the incredible hulk or something. Fortunately, ladies, we do not have enough testosterone in our system to make us have huge muscles. In fact, neither do men. Men will bulk up more than women, but the "Incredible Hulk" effect really only happens with enhancers and including supplements & powdered protiens. Girls...you are safe! What girl doesn't want to have that nice, toned and fit body that strength training helps to provide.

So, what do we conclude? HAVE A WELL BALANCED DIET. GET IN SOME EXERCISE. PUT YOURSELF TO BED ON TIME... A.K.A. SLEEP. DRINK A LOAD OF WATER AND NOT A LOAD OF ALCOHOL! Be patient. You want to make this a part of your everyday life and not some fad or quick fix. The quick fixes will just as quickly get you putting on the pounds back on (and then some) once you have jumped off the bandwagon. Play it safe by choosing good, whole, healthy foods and get active with the things you love Go ahead and GRAB LIFE BY THE BUTT CRACK! Shake things up a little! =)

Back in the Mix

Okay, as you know, I was on a trip last week. I wasn't on my best behavior while I was away. Boy, did I pay for  it! I went to CrossFit Oahu this Saturday morning. Needless to say, I sucked way more than I have been sucking in the past. It was very clear to me why. Well, there were two main reasons. The first one was I should have put myself on a time out for not having been diligent to workout at least every other day. I only worked out twice on my 6 day trip. The second reason why I should have grounded myself, was for eating "crap." Don't get me wrong, the food was good, but it wasn't good for my body. I had headaches when I ate sugary products and was constantly tired, which I am sure was due to all the grains like pasta and breads that I was partaking. Now that I am back on the "clean and whole" food train, I am quickly recovering. However, it wasn't soon enough for the workout this weekend. There was a killer workout that should have taken anywhere between 12-16 min to complete. I finished in 19:58. If I took 2 seconds more, they would have closed shop on my ass. The best part was after doing a crap load of squats with a 14 pound medicine ball, my legs had a mind of it's own. I literally came out of that exercise to do a run, only to have my legs giving out on me for a good 15 seconds. In retrospect, it was funny as heck. Picture it...I drop the medicine ball, turn 180 degrees to the left, start running, and my knees start giving out. I was practically running on my tippy toes! I managed to have my hands out, as to brace myself for the fall that never came. Thank goodness! I was waiting for it to happen. My trainer kept telling me, "slow down, take it slow." All the while, I had been telling my legs that for the first 10 seconds of the run. Well, they COMPLETELY disobeyed, and I just trickled down the sidewalk. They finally started to work properly about 50 yards into the run. I would have laughed my ass off had I fell, and would have been pissed to not have caught it on video. SUCH IS LIFE! Not quite sure what the point of that story was....What I do know is that, if you cheat on your diet, you only cheat yourself. I honestly believe that if I had been eating better on my vacation, I would have been able to kill that workout. Instead, I let it kill me. MORAL OF THE STORY...DON'T CHEAT YOURSELF! IT'S NOT WORTH IT! IF YOU DO...KICK YOURSELF IN THE ASS AND GET BACK ON TRACK! It will probably take me another week to fully recover, but, it must be done. I need my energy, my enthusiasm, and that extra gust of power behind my workouts. Eating the right foods really does make a tremendous difference. We must fuel these bodies with the GOOD stuff! Until next time...Peace!!!

Been Trippin'

I have been rippin' and runnin' through Philly, Atlantic City, and Washington D.C. for the last week. A very good friend of mine invited a couple of us girls to her "Family Reunion" in Philly. I had such a rich experience. The true meaning of family continues to be exposed to me, as I watched loving embraces, endearing verbal exchanges and sincere expressions of such wisdom on love and the importance of keeping family close. I also had the opportunity to take tours throughout history in both Philadelphia and D.C. I ran the famous steps of The Philadelphia Art Museum (made famous by the movie "Rocky"), smiled with friends next to the Liberty Bell, observed some money makin' skills at the U.S. Mint, took photos at the fence of the White House, rode an elevator 500ft up to the top of the Washington Monument, walked along the Reflecting Pool to the Lincoln Memorial while envisioning the "I Have A Dream" speech by Dr. King, entered exhibits of American History and Natural History at a few of the Smithsonian Museums, examined original documents including the Bill of Rights, Constitution, and The Declaration of Independence, and so much more. So, I have been trippin' and now heading back to Hawaii to get back on track. In all honesty, I did try a few Steaks in Philly (one horrible and one was tasty with cheese, fried onions, mushrooms and ketchup). I had a few stumbles in my food choices, but managed to get out there and exercise a handful of times. Now that I will be heading back home, I look forward to hitting it hard at the gym and getting my food consumption back on track. This trip was beyond awesome and I was blessed to have met great people and had countless new experiences. TAKE LIFE BY THE HORNS. SEEK OUT NEW ADVENTURES. IF YOU MISS THE MARK WITH FOOD HABITS WHILE ON THIS JOURNEY, JUST MAKE SURE YOU GET BACK ON THAT BUS WHEN YOUR TRAVELING EXPEDITION HAS ENDED. ENJOY LIFE!!!

Lesson Learned

Big mistake was made yesterday! I have been eating "clean," which basically means whole and unprocessed foods, for several months now. Well, I had a lil bit of a craving for crack, a.k.a. SWEETS...so I asked around my office. Know and behold, a co-worker came to the rescue. She provided me with a few slices of sugar dipped mango strips. I thought it would be awesome and I was so grateful the idea of sharing taught in kindergarten, remains alive. I ate those three pieces and savored it, for all of 30 seconds. Let me break it down really quickly. I have not ate sugar in almost 3 months, so this foreign substance taking a tour in my body, was definitely not welcomed. Almost instantly, I cramped up and felt like I needed to "throw out!" Throw out is my meaning for upchuck, spew, barf...you get the point.

Another lovely co-worker that sits in the Hollywood Square next to me (also referred to as a cubicle) started in on me. He reminded me of everything I have been talking about for the last few months. He shook his head at me, in obvious disdain, then proceeded to lecture me about the negative effects it will have on my body. I told him it was a mistake, to which he replied, "it was a choice, not a mistake." A poor choice at that, I acknowledged.

Moral of the story: stick to what you share with others. I have been trying to help him keep afloat with his food decisions and there I was, giving in to a few sticks of sugar. The repercussion of  that decision resonated in my mind and physically in my belly. LESSON LEARNED. DON'T GIVE UP. DON'T GIVE IN. KEEP MOVING FORWARD, EVEN WHEN BAD CHOICES ARE MADE ALONG THE WAY...THANKS, BRENT! :)

What are we really eating - Artificial & Natural Food Labels

For the next few days, I will be addressing some of the interesting facts I have researched about what's in our foods. I have seen this information in many books and articles online. Much of what is shared today comes from a book called "You Are What You Eat!" by Paul Chek (a nutrition and fitness expert).

One day, I thought it would be interesting to learn about what was really in the food I was eating. Today we will go over what's meant by "artificial flavor". THIS IS WORTH THE READ...trust me!

Have you noticed when you flip over the packaging of the food product you are about to inhale, that many, if not most of the ingredients are things you cannot pronounce, nor have any idea in the world of what it could actually entail. Well, Paul Chek believes it has much to do with why we may have such a hard time flattening our abs. In this article, I believe there is direct correlation to why it is difficult for many of us to see results of "eating right" and exercising. It's also an eye opener as to what we are really putting into these bodies of ours. Let's look a little closer.

"...you may be surprised at the number of multi-syllable words that look more like they should be the ingredients of super glue than of something you're eating. The gigantic and often strange words listed as ingredients (where food items are supposed to be!) are various concoctions use to color, stabilize, emulsify, bleach, texturize, soften, preserve, sweeten, add or cover smells and flavor!...current statistics say that the FDA lists approximately 2800 international food additives and about 3,000 chemicals, which are deliberately added to our food supply. When considering the number of chemicals used in the process of growing and processing food, by the food to the time it reaches our stomach we have consumed between 10,000 and 15,000 chemicals a day! (1)

The book goes on to say that FDA doesn't require food additives to be listed on food labels, but instead, requires the words "artificial flavor" or "artificial coloring" or "natural." It goes on to say "The fact of the matter is food and additive manufacturers, like drug manufacturers, are running the largest study ever run in history - and you are the guinea pigs!"

"To show what is being hidden from us and is right under our nose (literally!), consider these ingredients used in a Burger King strawberry milk shake, but are not disclosed.
     Amyl acetate, amyl butyrate, amyl valerate, anethol, anisyl formate, benzyl acetate, benzyl isobutyrate, butyric acid, cinnamyl isobutyrate, cinnamyl valerate, cognac essential oil, diacetyl, dipropyl ketone, ethyl propionate, ethyl valerbate, heliotropin, hydroxypherenyl-2butanone (10% solution in alcohol), a-ionone, isobutyl anthranilate, isobutyl butrate, lemon essential oil, maltol, 4-methylacetophenone, methyl naphthyl ketone, nethyl salicylate, mint essential oil, neroli essential oil, nerolin, neryl isobutyrate, orris butter, phenethyl alcohol, rose rum ether, g-undecalactone, vanillin, and solvent (2)!"

Funny thing is, he shared that these were just the ingredients in the "strawberry flavoring," never-mind the rest of the ingredients for the shake, like the ice cream! He went on again to share that our liver must process all of these things and when the liver is overworked, "these chemicals can end up in our blood stream, with almost unlimited access to the cells of our bodies, as well as placing strain on our detoxification systems!"

This was just a little "taste" (pun intended) of the crap we eat and what we do to ourselves, unknowingly. Well, now that we know  little more, we can make a more informed decision on what we are sticking in these bods and be a little more cautious, to make these puppies last a bit longer here on this earth!



References:
1. Dworkin, A. and Kella, W. "Thriving in a Toxic World." Olivenhain, CA: Professional Preference, 1996.
2. Schiosser E. "Fast Food Nation: The Dark Side of the All-American Meal". New York, NY: Houghton Mifflin, 2001.

Maybe You're Just Making Excuses...

Going 'Ol School

Well, I am taking it back to 1995. If you remember the movie "Dangerous Minds," with Michelle Pfeiffer, then maybe you will recollect the following. She's teaching her students a poem and basically come to a part which really stood out for me. She basically tells the students that they can stay in her classroom or they can get up and leave. She goes on to say that those are the choices they have before them, it may not be a choice they like, but they still have a choice and they still get to choose. I pose this same statement here. In everything in life, we have a choice. We may not like the choices that are in front of us, but either way we go, we must make a choice. It can be a matter of the choice between a pint of ice cream or a bowl of fruit. It could be racing home to catch the tv show or "DVRing" it and hitting the gym for a hot minute.

In the previous post, I mentioned I'd share some pointers about getting started. Whatever you want to make better in your life, it is important that you measure it. The success and failure we experience, come by little choices we make in everyday situations...success and failure are not overnight events. If there is one thing to focus on when beginning a journey, it's having a plan. I know, it's not exactly brain surgery, is it?!?

By creating a plan, it will allow you to respond to life and not just react to it. You must prepare your path for a positive outcome. Make a plan, have someone help you if needed, and be consistent. When the plan is completed or at least in the works, make sure you measure how you are doing. Whether it is daily, weekly, or monthly. Measure how close you are to your goal. Take account of how you are eating in comparison to how you ate last week or last month. Keep a log in your brain of how many times you have gotten out and active, be it in the gym or in the neighborhood. By keeping track, you hold yourself accountable. You'll find where you need improvement, where you will need a friend's assistance, where you will need to tweak things in the original plan you created, and most importantly, it will give you a sense of accomplishment. The little successes and choices you make will start to improve the bigger picture of your quality of life. COMMIT TO IT...COMMIT TO YOU...COMMIT TO THE LIFE YOU WANT AND THE LIFE YOU DESERVE. GIVE YOURSELF PERMISSION TO DO GREAT THINGS AND DON'T SELL YOURSELF SHORT!

Nutrition + Exercise = Overall Health

We've all spent time reading "women" mags that tell us we can just exercise and eat anything we want. Perhaps you also read the opposite...eat right with no exercise, and get a body like (fill in the blank with the name of a popular actress). This is ridiculous. I know, I've been there and done that countless times. These magazine have contradicting articles, while sitting on the same shelf at the checkout line in the grocery store. These catchy headers for articles have one thing in mind and that is getting your $3.99. It works the same way with these infomercials on television...everyone promising you everything. What about making a promise to yourself? Why not put your future in your hands? We have the ability to have whatever we want in life. We can make anything happen, but of course, it will always take some work and dedication.

What we need,  is to get to a place where both nutrition and fitness help us to attain the right goal: OVERALL HEALTH. It must be about finding a solution that is a lifetime change for the better. We as people all desire to live for one thing or another. Whether it be to see your grandchildren grow up, to accomplish goals you haven't completed, or any reason you have of why today would be too soon to die. We all want to be here for the long haul. What we should understand about health is there is a balance. Like everything else in life, to get the most out of it, we must have balance and not just have a balancing act. If we just exercise and put crappy food in our body, we are only accomplishing half of the work which will equal half of the results. It will be hard to make this type of "program" a consistent part in your life, especially without getting the results you desire. It will grow old and you'll eventually be disappointed with the outcome. Like I said, been there and done that!

Next time, I will share some pointers and little changes we can make to get started on our path to overall health. It's about taking it one step at a time. Little successes will give you the motivation you need to start making the bigger changes. KEEP STRIVING...AND REMEMBER, YOU ARE WORTH IT!

The First Blog

Today is my first official blog. "Back to the Drawing Board" is about the journey of doing and not just trying. Going back to the "drawing board" is where you can wipe away what didn't work and you can start over. It's about making mistakes, but learning to grow from it. I endeavor to see mistakes not as failure, but as an experience that didn't end up in my favor. I have been on a journey the last few years to reclaim my health. I have had everything from success, happiness, adventure, reality, peace, distraction, monotony, set backs, and perseverance on this path. My desire is to share what I have learned and what I am learning, in regards to living life without limits. What I mean by this is I compromised my health by the way I ate and by not keeping active. That way of living stole my energy and enthusiasm for the adventures of life. When I didn't care about my health, I couldn't enjoy the same things that I get to experience everyday. I look forward to the challenges ahead and am ready to put up my dukes when mental or physical battles lay before me. I don't always have the answers...but I am willing to face the music and fight for what I want. REMOVE THE LIMITS, THE BORDERS, AND THE EXCUSES!